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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN YV. GAY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN NIUFFS.

Specih'cation forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 l, |46, dated January5, 1884.

To LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W'. GAY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certainnew and useful Improvement in` Muffs; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of thisspecification, wherein I have represented a side view of the muff with aportion of the dressed fur or skin at one end laid over, and the end ofthe niuff at this point shown in section.

Mutis have heretofore been made with the dressed fur or skin joined atthe ends directly to the silk or other lining that passesinto andthrough the muff. rlhe skins at the edges contiguous to the lininggenerally have short and thin hairs on them, because with the mink andother eXpensive'skins that portion of the skin that comes from the bellyof the animal is necessarily brought to this part. The ends of the muffat the edges of the skins wear away very quickly in use, and either showthe skin itself or the light short hairs, which. is a great detriment tothe appearance of the mutf, and such edges are often cut off and themuff made smaller.' The tails of animals-such as mink, sable,Ste-generally have a longer and darker quality of hair and very thick;hence when the tail-skin is opened out iiat the fur or hairs completelyhide the edges of the skin itself.

The nature of my said invention consists'in the use of strips of fur orskins with thicker or longer hairs than those on the body of the muff atthe ends of such mui'f to form ahandsome finish for the same and alsoprotect the edges of the skin from wear, thereby rendering the muff moredurable and improving its appearance.

In the drawing, a represents the dressed skins or fur forming the bodyof the muff. b b are the strips of fur or skin of a thicker or heavierquality forming a protection to the edges of the skins at the ends ofthe mnff. I remark that the tail-skins are preferable for these endstrips, although the stronger, thicker,or heavier fur or skins ofanimals different from those furnishing the skins a may be employed.

The lining c, of silk or other material, is attached as usual to theouter edges of the strips b, and the wadding or padding of the inuiiC atd is to be of any desired kind.

A strip of fur may surround the opening through the muff, as at e,-butthis article, whether rendered contractile by an elastic band or not,is to be considered as a device separate from the invention herein setforth.

The strips of fur or tail-skins at the ends of the muff will generallybe formed of several pieces sewed together in the ordinary way ofjoining skins.

Vhat I clai in, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Amuff formed with strips of fur around the ends at the edges of theskins, for the purposes and as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my` signature this 18th day ofNovember, 1863.

JOHN W. GAY. Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, GHAs. H. SMITH.

